Bookbinder stitcher



Julie 28, 1932 P. E. KLElNl-:BERG l 1,554,739

BOUKBINDER STITCHER Filedmm.. 28. 1930 Vau three vheads that they STATES `PATENrOrcieres PAUL s. KLEINEBERG., or EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR To AivrnnroANy AssnMnLrNe MAor-rrNE COMPANY, A CORPORATION or'nELAwAI-:E

` BOOKBINDER srrrcrinn Application. med october 2s, 1930. serial No'. 491,700.

One( of the several ways invr whichthe leaves or signatures of a book `may be joined to- -gether, in the binding thereof, is by the driving of wire staples through the signatures,`

clinching the ends of the staple fast against lthe paper after being driven therethrough. "Thishas been accomplished in the use of a machine having a reciprocating member or head traveling parallel to the books to be bound and carrying means for forming, driving and Yclinching' three staples. This character of machine had the disadvantage that the spacing ofthe staples with reference to eachother and to the book was fixed; in order 'to permit the stapling of books of more than one size it was customary to spacethe three staples at different distances apart; for eX- ample, the fixed distance between the first and second staple might be approximately 41/2 inches while the distance between the second and third staples might be 2% inches.

By using this liked spacing, the two staples more widely apart might be used for a relativelysmall book while the two staples more closely arranged could be used for a 'still smaller book. VNot only is the utility of such va machine limited bythe' fixed spacing of the staples,` but vthe fact thatthree staples are formed and driven atvone time imposes an undesirable shock -to the machine, either compelling the use of massive parts or subject- .Ing the machine' to' undesirable wear.

In my improved machine I use a plurality of stitcher hea-ds, each reciprocating' and each adapted to the forming, drivingand clinching of but a single staple; and' I so arrange these may be independently timed so as to grip the books at lany desired point, driving the staple therethrough with complete independence of the point at which other staples may be driven. l

Stitchers of this general character are preferably used asppart of a series of machines which car-ry the books through the successive processes of assembly, stitching and covering. In any event* the books are to be carried through the stitchers by a conveyor, such conveyor preferably consisting of a chain hav- Such a conveyor chain is Icarried valong a chain race and at the side of a horizontal plateor book race' along which the books'are pushed by .the 4pins on the conveyor chain, standing upright with the back edges of the pages resting on the book race plate. Iemploy a common source of power forthe conveyor chainy and for the stitcher mechanisms and providemeans by which the actuating of the several heads may be adjusted with reference tothe chain, the source of power and each other;

VIt willbeunderstood' that in such an arrangement, eaohpin on the conveyor chain r will push before it a book to be stitched. The

'chain has a uniformv and continuousmovement. In my machine, when the book reaches a predetermined position at the first stitcher unit', the mechanism of lower edges of the book, holding them rmlyf; my mechanism is so arranged that this gripping action takes place when the reciprocatingl head Aand the conveyor propelled book are traveling lforward at the 'same speed, the speed of the'head immediately increasing so as 'to draw the Vbook away from the' propelling conveyor pin so as to assure a control of thebook movement byj the traveling head itself. While in this gripped condition the machine forms, drives rand clinches'a `'staple in the predetermined the'book-edge. y

By reason of the adjustable features Ihave introduced into my multiple-head stitcher, I

Vam enabled to place and drive the staples in -any desired order and in any.r desired position on the back' edge of the book, ay characteristic .action Yheretofore unknown 'in machines of As each stitcher unit is like lts fellows, all are-interchangeable and anyy this charauzter.VV

and desiredvportionof v that unit `grips'the l by me in the independent timing of the operations of the several units. In Fig. 1 my invention is illustrated in the use of two stitching units 1, 1, placed side by side and contiguous to the book guide 2, the book race 3 and the conveyor chain-race 4e. The gear wheel 5 is a part of the chai-n of gears connected to a mai-n driving shaft from which the conveyor chain is also driven. It is thus evident that the speed of travel of the chain and the speed of travel of the gear wheel 5 bear a definite relationship and timing to each other. The gear wheel 5 is vmounted loosely upon the shaft 6 and drives such shaft by being bolted to a coupling plate 7 keyed to the shaft 6. The gear wheel 5 is in effect another coupling plate. Coupling plates 5 and 7, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 2, respectively, are preferably formed with arcuate slots .5a and 5b, in the case of the gear wheel, and 7a and 7 b in the case of the fixed coupler. Through the use of bolts, 8, 8, these. two coupling plates may be clamped together in any desired relationship, even to the extent of a complete 360 degrees. The hub of the coupling 7 is preferably squared, as shown at 7 c, Fig. 2, to permit that coupling plate and its shaft 6 to be turned to the desired relationship to the gear wheel 5, by means of a suitable wrench.

In like manner the shaft 6a, of the second unit, may be adjusted with reference to the shaft 6 of the first unit, through the shifting of the coupler 10 on the second unit with respect to the coupler 9 of the first unit, after which these two couplings are to be clamped firmly together. 'In similar manner, a corresponding shaft of a third unit may be clamped in adjusted position with reference to the shaft 6a of the second unit.

As will be seen from the drawing, a mitre gea-r 11 on shaft 6 drives a gear 12 on a jack shaft 18 running at right angles to the shaft 6. On the shaft 13 is a crank 14 to which is attached a connecting rod 15 extending to the mid-portion of a lever arm 16 pivoted at 17. It will be seen that in the position of these parts in the first or lefthand unit of the drawing, the reciprocating head 18, carrying the various mechanisms for forming, driving and clinching a staple, is in its extreme lefthand position on its runway 19. This head 18 also carries the devices for clamping the book to the head, preparatory to the stapling operation and the parts are so arranged and adjusted that the clamping action takes place shortly after the crank arm has moved upwardly from the position shown, at a time when the head 18 and the book 20 are moving at the same speed. It will also be seen that in the position of the crank arm 14, shown in the drawing, the head 18 is momentarily stationary and that as the crank arm 14 rises to a point at right angles to the position shown, the speed of the head 18 will progressively increase. This means, of course, that as soon as the clamping of the book to the head is effected, the book will be drawn away from the pin on the conveyor chain which had theretofore been advancing the book along the book race; this takes the book out of the control of the conveyor and makes its travel dependent upon the speed of the head. After the staple has been driven and clinched, the book is unclamped and momentarily slackens its speed until overtaken by its conveyor pin which thereupon carries the book forward for operation by the second unit and later by the third unit of the stitcher.

I have not described or illustrated in detail, the complicated arrangement of cams, levers, dies and other parts actually employed in the wire feeding and cutting and the staple forming, driving and clinching operations, nor the means by which the book is actually clamped and unclamped in the operation of the device, these features themselves being well known and understood by those skilled in this particular art.

Referring again to the drawing, it will be seen that the stitcher head 21 of the second unit is in a different position from the stitcher head 18 of the first unit, due to the fact that the crank arm 22 of the second unit is at a .dif-

ferent angle with reference to the shaft 6a than the crank arm 14C of the first unit is with reference to its shaft 6. It will be obvious that the relationship shown or any .other relationship between the positions of heads 21 and 18 may be secured through the adi justment ofthe coupler 10 with reference to the coupler 9, and that these adjustments may both be regulated or timed with reference to the position of the heads 18 and 21 with respect to the book 20 through an adjustment of the coupler 7 with respect to the coupler-gear 5. It is also evident that if for any reason it should be desired to drive the shaft 6a lof the second unit from the main drive shaft, direct, instead of through a connection to such main drive shaft by way of the shaft 6 of the rst unit, it would be feasible to mount on the shaft 6a a second couplergear similar to'5 and make it cooperate with a fixed coupler on the shaft 6a corresponding to the coupler 7. There would here again be a capacity for adjustment and timing of all units with respect to each other, with respect to the common source of power and with respect to the conveyor and the books advanced thereby.

l claim:

1. Means for spacing and applying staples to the backs of books in the binding thereof,V

comprising a book race along which travel the books to be stitched, a book conveyor for advancing the books along the race, a source of power common to the conveyor and a plurality of stitching heads cooperating therewith, each head being timed with reference to the point on the books at which the staple is to be applied by that head as the books are advanced by the conveyor, through an adjustment of the driving connections between the heads and the source of power.

2. Means for spacing staples applied to the 1 backs of books in the binding thereof, oomprising a conveyor for advancing the books through the stitcher and a source of power common to such conveyor and a plurality of stitching heads, the first head being driven from the source of power through an adjustable arcuate coupling while each succeeding head is driven from the power shaft of the head before it through a similar adjustable arcuate couplin.

P UL E. KLEINEBERG. 

